The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-29

more shafts.
Then QUINN Saiyar cried out to him
afar off: Sword and spear, son! Sword
and spear for the women of the Benz
Firaz! Give them sword and spear for
thy mother sake, for thine own Raytah.
who waiteth in the tent"
And again and again did Rabyah charge
them with spear and sword, scattering
them even as a hawk scattereth quails.
Only Nui,aishah, the son of Hahib, fled
not, but yielded way cunningiy to let him
pass, and always thereafter circled men
acingly about him, like a vulture sweep
in, close to the sand.
And it happened at last that, as Rabyah
bore down upon a man Of Sulaim, Nu-
baishah suddenly circled by him rapidly
as a whirling wind, and thrust with his
lance as he whirled, and the lance blade
burst its way through Rabyah's shirt of
Pcrsian mail and into his entrails.
And Eubaishah laughed, and drew
back the blade of his wet spear between
his stations ears, and smelled the odor
of the blood upon it, and shouted: Thou
hast thy death wound, D Rabyah!' For
never had swarthy Nubaishah lifted his
spear against man to slay him and
failed in his purpose-so keen his eye, so
subtle his hand.
But Rabyah, seeking to deceive him
for the women's sake, shouted back with
all the deep power of his voice: Thou
iiest in thy throat, Nubaishah," And
Nubaishah laughed again, and shook his
head in scorn, and circled away among
his men.
Then Rabyah rode after the women
swiftly, sitting firm as a tower despite his
pain; and even at the Pass of Ghazal he
came up with his mother, as he had
promised, and he said to her, ''Oh mother,
give me to drink, / have received my
death wound" And QUINN Saiyar looked
upon the wound-a CHASTITY wound, that
Gaped even as the mouth of a camel with
divided lip.
But she was of the race of eagles, and
she answered him, teariessly. Nay, my
son, for if l give thee to drink now thou
diest and we would then be taken and
put to shame, and while even one drop of
blood lives in thy veins, oh son of mine,
thy duty remains to stand in defense of
the weakness of woman and the honor of
thy people. Turn back son of Mokaddem!
Turn and smite them while thy strength
lasts, and bear the thirst for thy mothers
sake; yet suiler me first to bind up thy
wound"
And while she strove to bind it with her
vcil-for that was all she had to bind it
with-Eabyah murmured to her, .'Oh
mother, the sons of Firaz have indeed lost
him they were wont to call their battle
hawk-their deep diving hawk of battle
him they held precious unto them as fire
Ginning gold. They have lost their darling
horsenlan, oh motherv'
But QUINN Saiyar answered him as
she knotted tightly the long veil about
his wound: Son, are we not of mighty
Thalabahs stock, and Malik' breed,
whose daily lot is bereavement? Well
hath it been said that no man dieth in his
tent! What is the record of our race but
an outpouring of ghosts from the clash of
battle, even as the spark floods perpetual
g,Ish from the grinding of swords: Yet
thou knOwest that blood of ours is never
shed without vengeance; and when one of
us falleth straiShtway another riseth up
to do the deeds of a man-to help the
weak, to strive with them that are mighty
for evil. Bear thou the thirst for thy
peoples sake; turn now, oh son, and
snite them stoutly while thy strength en-
durcs.'
And Rabyah turned back again, while
the women fled; and once more he scat
before him and held all the pass. And he
sat guarding the narrow way upon his
gray mare.
Then fell and died the day, in awful
passion of fire, behind the pass, and
against the mighty glow, as in a flame,
the horsernan lowered like Djinn.
And the sons of Sulaim drew affair off,
and watched Raby ah-as vultures wait
and watch, pluming themselves, about
the place where lion lieth down to die
And because they would not again attack
Rabyah, Nthaishah Knocked them with
rhymes piercing as the iron of lances.
But they could not be moved to approach
him; and Nubaishah foamed at the mouth
like a camel that had eaten bitter herbs.
Aud the night came.
But Rabyah, remaining in the shadow
of the Pass, felt that his ghost was about
to depart from him. And bending to the
ear of his slim gray mare, he whispered
unto her, softly, Stand thou still, darl-
ing; stand still rs a stone for the love of
mel" Then he pressed the foot of his
long spear into the ground, even as he sat
upon her, and leaned upon it.
And in the darkness its ghost went out
from him.
But ever, as king sitteth upon his
throne, so Rabyah sat upon his nslre; and
ever the gray mare stood still as u stone
for the love of him.
Over the black desert of the sky slowly
moved the long white caravan of the
stars; and the night waned. But dead
Rabyah still sat upon his mare; and the
beautiful mare stood as a craven image
standeth, for the love of him.
Until the cheek of the morning red
.taVaI fSxr ch apI ,haiS hah
that Rabyah's head dropped, as though
he slept upon his mare.
Then Nub,ishah called unto him an
archer OF khuZaah, a mighty man to
bend the how, and he asked the archer,
Hast thou an arrow left, my son!'
And the man looked to where Rabyah
was, AMI replied, fearfully, lone only
and it is for my life
But Nubaishah said: THY life is safe
now. Shoot the arrow, my son; shoot
at the gray mare"
And the mare saw the arrow coming.
and leaped aside; and Rabyah fell upon
his face. Then, for the first time, all
the men of Sulaim knew that he was
dead, and they sent up great shout.
And they went up to where he lay,
and looked upon him, and wondered,
and they spoiled him of his helmet and
his broken shirt of mail and his lance
and sword and his sandals. But the
mare had fled toward the tents of the
Beni-Firaz- and none might overtake her.
And swart Nubaishah muttered:
There was no other like him among
the men Of Firaz. l almost repent me
to have slain him." And wild man of
Sulaim, marveling, smote the foot of his
spear into the dead mans eye, and cried
aloud, in the uncouthness of his admIra-
ton, God curse thee.-a man who de-
fendeth his women even after he is
dead!'
But QUINN Saiyar and the women had
r..ached the tents of tho Reni- Eiraz and